Scientology and Catholicism Do Mix: A Note on Teaching New Religions in a Catholic Classroom

Abstract. This note from the classroom explores teaching new or alternative religions within the context of a Roman Catholic Liberal Arts College. The essay will specifically focus on a section of a course entitled “Modern Religious Movements” in which students were asked to consider different methodological approaches to the teaching and study of Scientology and the Catholic cult of the Virgin Mary. This note from the classroom details how this rather unexpected comparison prompted students to reconsider the category cult and argues that encouraging self‐reflexivity in a largely Catholic classroom can become a crucial means for engaging a broader discussion of new religions, cult discourse, and the academic study of religion itself.     

Psychiatry and Psychology in the Writings of L. Ron Hubbard

Objectives: Celebrity followers of the Church of Scientology have recently used their public forum to attack the modern practice of mental health. The practice of Scientology is rooted in the religious writings of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard. This paper will review the religious writings of L Ron Hubbard to understand Scientology’s position on mental health. Method: This paper reviews four of the major religious books written by L Ron Hubbard, in addition to a comprehensive overview of Scientology compiled by Scientology staff. Results: Hubbard’s theory of mind borrowed heavily from the earlier writings of Freud, until Hubbard’s psychological theory extended to include a spiritual existence that goes beyond the material world. The goal of Hubbard’s psychology and religion were to optimize the freedom of the individual, and he viewed psychiatry and psychology as inherently anti-spiritual and opposed to personal freedom and self-realization. Ultimately Hubbard presents a world view of potential nuclear world cataclysm, fueled by the geopolitical climate and mental health theories that dominated the mid 20th century. Conclusions: Hubbard’s writings mirrored the times in which he lived. His views that mental health practices are inherently anti-religious, freedom-inhibiting, and brain damaging do not reflect the modern-day practices of mental health. Dr. McCall is presently Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He completed his medical degree and post-graduate psychiatric training at Duke University. He completed a Masters degree in Epidemiology from Wake Forest University. He is board certified in general psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and sleep disorders medicine. His research interests include depression, electroconvulsive therapy, quality of life, and insomnia. His research has been continuously funded by the National Institute of Mental Health since 1995, and he is author of more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. He is Editor of the Journal of ECT, Immediate-Past President of the Association for Convulsive Therapy, and a prior Director of the Board of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.     

NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS,TECHNOLOGY, AND SCIENCE: THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE E‐METER IN SCIENTOLOGY TEACHINGS

This article is aimed at contributing to the study of the relationship that new religious movements entertain with technology and science. It focuses on an object that is central in Scientology's teachings and practice: the Electropsychometer or E‐meter. In interaction with the general public, such as in a 2014 TV Super Bowl advertisement, Scientology seems to claim a unique relationship with science and technology in the form of a “combination” and a “connection” evoked while displaying this very E‐meter. Hence, exploring the teachings related to it is relevant in order to understand how such combination or connection is conceptualized.